The monthly painting demonstration for the Loma Linda University Art Association, on April 30, turned out to be an event to remember.
For one thing, the day marked the 50th anniversary of the Loma Linda Fine Arts Festival. For another, it marked an unexpected big deal in the life of an Inland Empire artist who has been creating art for the better part of the last hundred years.
Helen Dalgleish, who will turn 100 this September, won the drawing at the painting demonstration, which entitled her to have her portrait painted by acclaimed regional portraitist Martha Cowan.
Although not particularly experienced as a model, Dalgleish has been creating art since she was 11 and received a B.A. degree in fine arts just before her 50h birthday. She says her favorite memories are of field workshops she and her husband, the late Arthur Dalgleish, MD, took with renowned watercolorist Vernon Nye along Northern California where she executed seascapes, landscapes, floral studies, and images of ramshackle towns in watercolor and acrylics. An article about her art can be found online at https://adventistsocietyforthearts.org/mixing-watercolors-with-faith/
Cowan, of course, is widely known throughout the Southern California arts community for her oil paintings of California landscapes, still lifes, vintage automobiles, people, and animals. Her work, which frequently evokes a sense of whimsy and nostalgia, can be seen on her website at https://www.marthacowanpaintings.com/
The expression on Cowan’s and Dalgleish’s faces, as captured in a photograph by Kristin Nash, tells the rest of the story. The two creatives had a great time collaborating on Cowan’s masterpiece and bonded over their mutual love of art.
“It was great to see how happy Helen was when she won the drawing,” said Karen Wardell, co-president of the association. “The fact that she’s been painting basically all of her life added to the fun and excitement of the moment.”
The Loma Linda Art Association was founded in the 1980s to give Inland Empire artists the opportunity to showcase their art and study under recognized masters from a wide range of artistic media and approaches. Wardell says the organization is currently holding its spring membership drive. Individuals interested in joining the association may reach out to Patty Zappia, secretary, by email at dusty.zapper@gmail.com or by phone at (909) 835-0792.